Final answer:
The mark and recapture method is used to estimate the population size by tagging a number of individuals, releasing them, and then later sampling again to see how many tagged individuals are recaptured. For the given example, with 300 initially tagged fish and 1 tagged fish found in a second sample of 300, the estimated population size would be approximately 90,000 fish.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to estimating the population size of fish using the mark and recapture method. This biological technique involves catching a number of individuals (in this case, 300 fish), tagging (marking) them, and then releasing them back into their environment. On the second outing, another sample of individuals is captured, and the number of those that were previously tagged is noted.
To estimate the total population (N), we use the proportion of recaptured tagged animals to the total number of animals in the second capture. If 1 out of 300 fish captured on the second outing is tagged, and originally 300 fish were tagged, the equation to estimate N would be:
(Number of originally tagged individuals x Total number of second catch) / Number of recaptured tagged individuals
So, N = (300 x 300) / 1 = 90,000. Therefore, we estimate there are 90,000 fish in the entire population.
It's important to note that this method assumes a mixed and uniformly distributed population, and several potential sources of bias can affect the accuracy of the estimation. These include learned avoidance of capture, increased recapture due to lures like food, and potential negative effects of the tagging process on the animals' survival.